Music as literature… a concept explored by songwriter, singer and guitarist Laura Cantrell who joins us to talk about her picaresque journey from Nashville to New York. The late writer and cultural critic Nat Hentoff recalls his famous associations from Charles Mingus to Billie Holiday and why Charlie Parker loved country music. Plus Delhi, LA soul man Toussaint McCall talks about the writing of his magnum opus “Nothing Takes the Place of You.” Country, jazz, blues, R&B and more come together for this hardcover edition of American Routes.

APRIL FOOL'S WITH HARRY SHEARER

March 29th, 2000

Tomfoolery and trickery for April Fool’s! Host Nick Spitzer’s chair is grabbed by pretenders seeking to impose their own music mix. Spitzer reclaims power in time to revisit several hoaxes in the history of American music and radio.